100 Years of Solitude: Roman colonies in the first century of their foundation (St. Andrews)
100 Years of Solitude: Roman colonies in the first century of their foundationThe School of Classics, University of St Andrews will hold a conference in St Andrews from the 12th to 14th September 2007 which concerns the nature of Roman colonies in the provinces during the first 100 years after their foundation. In recent years significant developments have been made in research on processes of change in the colonies of the Empire but the geographical exclusivity means that there has been little dialogue on common themes between those who work on the East and those on the West.
The purpose of the conference is to take a new approach to the study of the Roman Empire which allows scholars of both the Eastern and Western provinces come together to present papers on a range of issues and material culture concerning colonies within the first 100 years of their foundation. By focusing the discussion on the early years of colonies but by eliminating the geographical divide it is hoped that a number of issues will be resolved and that new material will be provided for future research! A short synopsis of the themes is included for further information.
At the moment it is envisaged there will be a programme of between 25 and 30 papers on the themes outlined in the enclosed synopsis (below). If you wish to attend the conference or to participate by presenting a 20 minute research paper, please register your interest in doing so by 12th December 2006 at the address or email address below. In your initial correspondence, please include your name, addresses and if you propose to give a paper, a provisional title.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch should you have any questions or comments and feel free to circulate the information to any of your colleagues who might also be interested.
CONTACT:
Dr Rebecca Sweetman
School of Classics
University St Andrews
Swallowgate
St Andrews
KY16 9AL, Scotland
rs43@st-andrews.ac.uk
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/classics/conferences/index.shtml
Fax: +44 1334 462602
Synopsis:
100 Years of Solitude: Roman colonies in the first century of their foundation
Research on the nature of cultural change in the Roman Empire has traditionally been divided between the Western and Eastern provinces. In all cases, whether discussion is couched in terms of Romanization, Creolization or Globalization explanations for the processes of change are focused on discrete areas of the Empire using specific elements of material culture or historical sources as evidence. This geographical exclusivity and fragmentation has lead to a poor understanding both of the global processes of how the Roman Empire spread and the effects of the expanding Empire on the provinces themselves. Although both sides of the geographical divide are aware of these problems, they have yet to be addressed.
The aim of this conference is to reunite Eastern and Western provinces by approaching the question of cultural change in provinces across the Empire through a range of material culture and historical sources. The conference aims to bring together archaeologists and historians concerned with provinces of both the Eastern and the Western Empire in the hope that a better understanding of the development of the Empire as a whole may be achieved. Since a primary goal is an understanding of the nature of cultural development, the focus will be on an examination of a range of material culture dating from the first one hundred years of the foundation of a colony. Key questions may include:
· Why were certain cities selected to be colonies?
· For whose benefit was the colony established?
· How did cities respond when they became colonies of the Roman Empire?
· How was the change to colony-status articulated in material culture?
· If there was a perceptible change, what was the time frame of that change?
· Is there evidence of non-intentional or intentional change (or both) on the part of the locals and/or the Romans?
· Can an interpretation of the material culture of different colonies from different parts of the Empire tell the same story?
Ultimately, a more inclusive approach should allow an examination of both local and Roman perspectives and show that the foundation and development of a colony are not homogenous processes.